Hot Compress Application in Open Abdominal Surgery

NCT06888154 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: hot compress
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to evaluate the effect of hot compress application to the intestines during abdominal surgery on postoperative nausea-vomiting and bowel function. Volunteers will be randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. Initially, 30 patients will be included in each group, and the study will be completed based on the effect size determined by power analysis. Hypotheses: H0: Covering the intestines with saline heated at 36°C during surgery has no effect on postoperative nausea and vomiting. H1: Covering the intestines with saline heated at 36°C during surgery affects postoperative nausea and vomiting. H01: Covering the intestines with saline heated at 36°C during surgery has no effect on postoperative bowel function. H11: Covering the intestines with saline heated at 36°C during surgery affects postoperative bowel function. Inclusion Criteria: Undergoing abdominal surgery in the general surgery ward, Aged 18 years or older, Having a BMI between 18.50-24.99 kg/m², Able to communicate verbally, Willing to participate in the study, Conscious and oriented patients. Exclusion Criteria: History of previous gastrointestinal surgery, Postoperative complications, History of small bowel resection, ileostomy, or colostomy, History of emergency surgery, neoadjuvant therapy, appendectomy, or inflammatory bowel disease, Chronic opioid use, Chronic constipation (≤ 2 bowel movements per week), History of abdominal radiotherapy, Admission to the intensive care unit or postoperative bleeding. Application: Intervention Group: Routine preoperative procedures will be performed. During surgery, the intestines will be covered with sterile gauze soaked in saline heated at 36°C to prevent drying and reduce the risk of infection. Routine postoperative procedures will also be applied. Control Group: Routine preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative procedures will be applied. During surgery, the intestines will be covered with sterile gauze soaked in unheated saline, following standard practice. Outcome Measures: Primary Outcome: Gastrointestinal function assessment index, including time to first flatulence, first defecation, first normal bowel sounds, and first consumption of liquid/semi-solid food. Secondary Outcome: Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, abdominal bloating, pain, and vomiting.

Conditions

Abdominal Surgery by Laparotomy

Keywords

abdominal surgery; hot compress; operating room; nursing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• will be an index of gastrointestinal functional assessment, including time to first passing gas, first defecation, first normal bowel sounds and first consumption of liquid/semi-general diet foods

  Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) Scale Scores: The QoR-15 scale is a validated tool used to assess postoperative recovery quality. It consists of 15 items, each scored on a 0-10 scale, with a total score range of 0 to 150 (higher scores indicate better recovery). Scoring Interpretation: 0 - 70 → Poor recovery 71 - 100 → Moderate recovery 101 - 150 → Good recovery Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) - Scale Scores The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) is a validated tool used to assess the severity of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. It consists of 15 items, each scored on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = no discomfort, 7 = severe discomfort). Scoring Interpretation: Total Score Range: 15 to 105 (higher scores indicate worse GI symptoms). Mean score calculation: Total score is divided by the number of items (15) to determine the severity of symptoms. Interpretation of Scores: 15 - 30 → Mild symptoms 31 - 60 → Moderate symptoms 61 - 105 → Severe symptoms

  postoperative 1-3 day

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group (Hot compress Application)

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients in this group will be toweled with heated saline during abdominal surgery. After the abdomen is opened, the intestines will be covered with a sterile towel soaked in saline heated to 36°C to prevent drying and reduce the risk of infection.

Other: compress application with heated saline

Control Group (Routine Care)

NO INTERVENTION

Patients in this group will receive standard surgical care.

Interventions

compress application with heated saline OTHER

Covering intestines with sterile gauze soaked in 36°C heated saline during surgery to prevent drying and reduce infection risk

Intervention Group (Hot compress Application)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Abdominal surgery in the general surgery ward
• years of age or older
• Patients with BMI in the normal range (18.50-24.99 kg/m2)
• Able to communicate verbally
• Those who volunteered to participate in the study
• Patients with no mental confusion, conscious and oriented will be included.

You may not qualify if:

• Previous gastrointestinal system surgery
• Complications in the postoperative period
• History of small bowel resection and ileostomy or colostomy
• Surgical history of inflammatory bowel diseases, emergency surgery, neoadjuvant therapy, appendectomy,
• Chronic opioid use,
• Experiencing chronic constipation (≤ 2 bowel movements per week),
• Abdominal radiotherapy
• Patients admitted to intensive care unit and patients with bleeding will not be included in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• TC Erciyes University: lead
• Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Kırşehir Ahi Evran University

Merkez, Kırşehir, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Dilek TALHAOĞLU, PhD

CONTACT

+905545911691; dilektalhaoglu@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 9, 2025
• First Posted: March 21, 2025
• Study Start: May 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: February 15, 2026
• Study Completion: February 25, 2026
• Last Updated: October 6, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)